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| Included as an insert in the Sunday 10 December 2006 Scottish edition of the News of the World |
| Two articles from this newspage can be found here ©2006 News Group Newspapers Ltd. |
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| # | Mistakenly listed on CD sleeve as being from Rarities IV and in article as Rarities VI. |
| % | Callum Adamson (Stuart’s son) is a member of the group ‘Ahab’ |
| In A Big Country (Rarities IV) (3:44) ◆ | |
| Chance (Das Fest) (5:18) ß 1995-07-22 | |
| Fields of Fire (Das Fest) (6:48) ß 1995-07-22 | |
| Wonderland (Come Up Screaming) (6:10) £ 2000-05-20 | |
| Look Away (Come Up Screaming) (3:44) £ 2000-05-31 | |
| Ships (Das Fest) (7:11) ß 1995-07-22 | |
| God’s Great Mistake (Das Fest) (4:59) ß 1995-07-22 # | |
| Driving To Damascus (Driving To Damascus) (4:00) ◆ | |
| Trouble The Waters (Driving To Damascus) (4:10) ◆ | |
| Fragile Thing (Driving To Damascus) (4:35) ◆ | |
| Dreamboy (Tony Butler) (4:45) ◆ | |
| (Do You Believe In) Ghosts (Bruce Watson) (3:52) ◆ | |
| Heart of Wonder (FourGoodMen) (4:24) ◆ | |
| Avenues (Ahab) (2:14) % | |
| Pan American Irish Girl (Rarities VIII) (3:34) ◆ | |
| EXCLUSIVE BY TIM BARR OASIS icon NOEL GALLAGHER pushed through the crowds at London’s Docklands Arena and marched towards his quarry. “I know who you are,” the starstruck rocker told BIG COUNTRY bassist TONY BUTLER and the band’s drummer MARK BRZEZICKI. “I’ve got all your records.” He went on to reveal how Oasis played the Dunfermline band’s music at top volume on their tour bus. Tony said: “We’d a lot of fun with Noel. He was so knowledgeable about the band. “It was very flattering to get such respect from him.” But that meeting, at the 1998 Sky Sports Awards, is just ONE of the superstar tributes to have been paid to the Scots heroes. Music giants like DJ JOHN PEEL - who described frontman STUART ADAMSON as “Britain’s answer to JIMI HENDRIX” - JERRY LEE LEWIS and even blues hero BB KING were among their biggest fans. In September, we exclusively revealed that U2 and GREEN DAY were to cover The Saints Are Coming, by Stuart’s first band THE SKIDS. But backstage in Sydney last month, BONO and THE EDGE told pals how much they adored Big Country too. A Vertigo tour insider told us: “Bono remembered how, in 1983, he and The Edge caught a ferry from Dublin to Liverpool just so they could see Big Country when their first-ever tour called in at Merseyside’s Eric’s Club. “They went on to reminisce about recording Rattle & Hum in Los Angeles. “Big Country were there working on their Peace In Our Time album and the two groups spent many a happy hour hanging out together.” The band - formed in Dunfermline in 1981 by Stuart and guitar ace BRUCE WATSON - scored a massive worldwide smash with debut album The Crossing. “The first time we played together,” recalls Mark, “we could feel there was something special between us. “Bruce’s guitar style was unique, the way he and Stuart worked together was amazing...and, of course, as a singer Stuart was a one-off with a great voice.” They went on to enjoy a string of worldwide hits - including Wonderland and Look Away - before Stuart’s death five years ago this week. Speaking from San Francisco last night, where he was completing a US tour with new band Four Good Men, Bruce told us: “A lot of good things happened in our career - and a few bad things - but we like to say we took the scenic route through life.” |
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| What’s on your great CD 1. IN A BIG COUNTRY “This is this original demo we recorded in a little studio near London’s King’s Cross in 1982,” recalls Bruce. “I can remember us listening back to the final mix and realising we’d done something special.” This 1983 hit is from Track Records CD Rarities IV 2. CHANCE “This is a live versio from Karlsruhe in Germany,” says Mark. “It was an electrifying gig.” This 1983 smash is from the Track Records album Das Fest - Live. 3. FIELDS OF FIRE “Another one from that set,” says Tony. “This is one of my favourites.” A 1983 hit from Track Records’ Das Fest - Live. 4. WONDERLAND “I chose this version from our farewell concert at Glasgow’s Barrowland in May 2000.” Bruce reveals. “It was one of the songs that came to define our style.” A 1984 hit, from the Track Records album Come Up Screaming. 5. LOOK AWAY “This came from that same Barrowland show,” he adds. “I think you can tell it was an emotional night.” A 1986 hit, from the Come Up Screaming CD on Track Records. 6. SHIPS “This was a big live favourite, and I think it’sone of Stuart’s finest lyrics,” says Mark. A 1993 hit, from Track’s Das Fest - Live. 7. GOD’S GREAT MISTAKE “I remember us having a lot of fun on this during a writing session in London of all places.” recalls Tony, “But it’s quite a profound song.” This 1995 track is taken from the Track Records album Rarities VI.# 8. DRIVING TO DAMASCUS “The title track from our final album,” says Mark. “We felt revitalised as a band when we were working on this and I think it shows.” This 1999 track is from the Track Records album Driving To Damascus. 9. TROUBLE THE WATERS “We wrote this after Stuart moved out to Nashville,” explains Bruce. “It was autumn, we were in the front room of his home there, with our guitars and a drum machine. I remember a lot of old 50s-style American cars out in the street to...it was a vibe.” This 1999 track is from the Track Records CD Driving To Damascus. 10. FRAGILE THING “Stuart and I wrote this backstage in Belgium,” he adds. “It’s a magical song that sums up Stuart’s talent for harnessing a pop melody to a lyric that’s quite dark.” A 1999 hit, from the Track Records album Driving To Damascus. |
